Selective signaling apparatus.



E; R. mit. sELEcTwE siem/LING APPARATUS.

A PPL'ICATIN FILED MAR. 28. 1912. A

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SI!EET l IF' ig. 1

A E. a. GILL.; y A SELECTIVE' SIGNALING APPARATUS. AFPVUCATIONv FILED MAR- 29, 19.12. y 1,137,4255, I Patented Ap1.27,'1915.

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@il In! nl UNITED srATns PATENT dreien,

EDWIN n; ernia, or romans, New vom;"marcaron,v mi wenn assren'mnn'rs, 'ro

' HALL `swrrcn a sicNAL coMrANY, A CORPORATION or Melun.

To all LU/wm t may concern n 4 Beit known that I, EDWIN R. Gmo, residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Selective Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a` specification. Y

This invention relates to high speed selecv tors for use on telephone and telegraph lines,

whereby signals at different points alongl a line may be selectively operated without inte'rerence by electrical impulses impressed y upon ythe line the several selectors being preferably controlled as by means of an automatic sender lwherein a movable contact is; impelled forward rapidly step by step.' vBy' pausing after the appropriate forw/ard step', the operator is able to cause the operatlon of lthe selector ata given stat/1on, thus call'y f ing that station without disturbing any other upon the` line. A great diiiiculty in the use of selectors as hitherto constructed has been Ithat the selectors could not be returned to normal save by st pping them up through their appointed pbse of movement. Accordingly, it' the first selector, for instance of a series, were operated, in order to bring all the instruments to normal, the actuating impulses would have to be continued until all, even the very last of the selectors, had completed their appointed phase and been returnedto the normal condition necessary to properoperation. l

i line, a controlling element comes into operation in such a way that all the selectors will automatically return to normal, whether 'or not' their operative phases have been com-4 pleted.

Another obect of the invention is to improveupon the construction of the selector whereby the operation is rendered more Apositive and' certain. f

.. "'ffOther objects and aimsl of the invention.

will be more specifically pointed out in the course of the `tollowing description of the features of censtruetion, ,arrangements of SELECTIVE SIGNALING APPARATUS.

y191.2. Serial No. 686,798.

parts and combinationsot elements, and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

InA the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this application, and in which I show a preferred embodiment of the invention: Figure 1 isan elevation oit one side of the selector; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposite side of said device; Fig. 3 is a top planview of said deifiae; Fig. i is a vertical sectional view taken on the line if-4: of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a vicw'in elevation of a ratchet wheel adapted to be stepped up by electrical impulses;` Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in plan taken substantially on the line 6--6 of Fig. 4; Fig. 'i' is a view in front elevation of the selector; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 8-8 ofFig. 3.

Referring to the numerals on the draw' ings, 1 indicates a base member, which is yadapted to support a casing inclosing the selector, the frame-work of which is shown at 2. This framework supports a horizontal shaft 4 upon which is carried a ratchet wheel 5, which is normally impelledin the direction of thejarrow, Fig. 4, by the spiral `spring 6. An' electro-magnet 7 acts through the armature 8, bowedspring 9, and connecting rod'lO to operate an impelling lever 11. Animpelling pawl 12 is pivoted to the end of the lever 11 and is provided with an arm 14 against which bears the spring 15. The

function of this spring is to direct the lower end of the pawl into the successive teeth on the wheel 5. f A stop 16 is provided to limit the downward movement of the pawl 12.

:Patentes apnea, inra. n

vWhenever the energization of the magnet 'i permits the lever 11 to swing downward on its pivot 17, the impelling patwl, 12` will engage the ratchet wheel 5 and move the same one tooth forward. `When the electrdmagnet'? is denergized, the spring 9 causes the i lever 1]. and with it the pawl 12 to rise.

v When this motion takes place, a, retaining pawl .18 on a pivotedarm 19 acts on the teeth of the ratchet 5 to prevent return to normal under the influence of the spring 6,

For reasons hereinafter explained, the arm 19 is carried upon an inclined shaft 20 rotatable in opposite side pieces of the frame, said shaft being movable endwise uponl its journals whereby the pawl 18 may be disen-\` gaged from the wheel 5 upon, longitudinal Y movemetxof the shaft 20a` `The inciinntien of the shaft 2O facilitates the return of the pawl 18 into engagement with the wheel 5 as hereinafter explained, and also tends to keep theppawl always over the wheel` 5 when space of one tooth, but that 'wl1en a call is to be begun a. long pause should prepare the wheel 5v for action and that thereafter a series of codal .impulses should cause the wheel to move forward step by step, without backward movement, until the phasel of movementof the wheel has been completed.

. teeth will e In the present instance, the wheel 5 is provided with two types of teeth which may be designated upper contact and lower contact teeth. That is, certain of the teeth are beveled olf at the top so that'onl the lower portions or bases of the teeth'wi l operate to edect a positive holding engagement with the pawl 18 whereby the wheel 5 will be held against returning and others of said teeth are beveled off at the bottom whereby onl the upper portions of said ffect a positive holding engagement with the pawl 18, whereby the wheel 5 will be also held against returning. These teeth are indicated at 51v and 52, (see Fig. 5) the numeral 51 indicating the upper contact teeth and the numeral 52 indicating the lower contact teeth. There is also provided upon the wheel 5 a tooth 5"-, the upper end of which is cut off, and a tooth 5* which is-beveled both top and bottom, so that no portion of said tooth will operate to effect a holding engagement vwith the pawl 18.

Fig. 4 shows the normal position. of the wheel 5 and the lever '19, and in this position thc'levcr 19 is supporter` in an elevated position with the pawl 18 out of engagement with the wheel 5, a catch 21 on the lever 19 resting upon a hook 22 which is fixed upon a rock shaft 23. Thisl hook, by its engagement with the catch 2l, holds the pawl 1S in such position that while it will engage the upper contact teeth 51 ofthe whccl 5, it will not engage the cut-oli' tooth 53 or the lower contact tooth 52, and inasmuch as thev wheel 5 is normally held in such position that an actuation of the pawl l2 will only operate to move the tooth 5'd in front of the pawl 18, when the impulse which has actuated the pawl 1.2 terminates, the wheel 5 will retprn to.normal. Thus, rapid impulses will produce only a back and forth motion through the space .of one tooth ci the wheel 5. In order to eausethe wheel .5 to progress its whole intended phase means vfixed upon the lever 11.

eupon the wheel into position to engage the base of the tooth 53, andv also the bases of the lower contact teeth 52. For this purpose the following means are employed.

Upon a shaft 27 there is fixed a lever 2 8 to the outer extremity of which is pivoted a frame-Work 29, carrying an inertia wheel 30, the hub 31 whereof rests upon an inclined track 32, and is adapted to slide or roll thereon. This wheel is held near the upper end of the track 32 by the arm 34, Thus each time the impelling pawl is depressed the wheel 30 will beginy to roll slowly down the track 32, and whenever the pawl l2-rises the arm 34 causes the wheel to slide quickly back upon the track 32. If the impelling pawl i's depressed long enough, the wheel 30 will roll down the track 32 far enough to permit the frame-work 29 to en age a lever 35 fixed upon the revoluble slgiaft 28 to which the hook 22'is affixed. This action pushes the hook 22 rearw'arcilly`y away from under the catch 21, thus releasingthe pawl 18 and permitting it to fall upon the wheel 5, and into engagement with the lower portion of the cutaway tooth 53, whereby thc wheel 5 will be held against return movement. It will be noted that in thc present arrangement the cutaway tooth 53 is followed by ive upper contactteeth. lTherefore lwhen the pawl 12 again descends to stop the wheel 5 for' ward one tooth, the first of the upper contact teeth will lift the pawl 18Aabove the hook 22, which meanwhile has returned to normal position, whereupon the pawl dropping upon said hook. will also drop behind the first of the upper'contact teeth 51, thereby holding the wheel against return movement. Five successive quick impulses will therefore cause the wheel 5 to be advanced. Inasmuch, however, as the tooth 52 is a lower contact tooth the succeeding impulse after the fifth quick impulse must be a long impulse to permit the frame 29of the inertia device to engage the lever 35 whereby the hook 22 will be moved rearwardly, permitting the lpawl 18' to drop into engagement with the base of the tooth 52, such operation maintaining the wheel 5 against returning. When the wheel 5 is again stepped forward by the'descent of the pawl 12 the neigt tooth, which is an upper contact tooth, will again'liftthe pawl so that the catch 21 will rest upon the hook 22, also allowing1 it to fa'll into engagement with said tooth to hold the ivheel. fore, one additional quick impulse will step the wheel forward. The next tooth 5*it will be understood, is beveled both top and Therelo'ettom. Therefore, upon the next impulse,

Astepped forward by a predetermined series Liemers position, since the parte have now l'oeen moved to a position which will close a contact to operate the electro-ma etic signal as will hereinafter be explaine When the pani 12 returns to normal position, the beveled portion oli' the tooth 5* will push the llever 19 laterally, whereby the pawl 18 will be entirely disengaged from the wheel5, allowing the latter to return to 'normal. follows, therefore, that the Wheel may be of impulses which follow each other quickly f or with intermediate pauses until the in'- elined tooth 54 comes in contact with the pawl 18, such tooth due tc the tendency of the wheel to return to normal under the influe-nce of the spring G, by a camming action,

causing the lever 19 and the pawl 18 to move` laterally so as to release the Wheel 5.

K v `isbto cause the closing of a normally opened circuit, and this end is attained as follows: 'A mringcontact arm 38 is secured to the she. 27 whose rotative movements, as will be understood, are governed by the operation of the wheel 30, and cooperating with this arm 38 is an opposed arm 4l,`wh`ich is' heldu on and insulated from the machiner frame 'y means of spaced insulating block` I391, .carried upon the upper portion of one of the side pieces of the frame. The arm 41 is connected as by means of the wire to the binding post 44, the other of said binding posts 45 being grounded to theframe of the machine. Thus when the contacts car- .ried by the arms 38 and 41 are orought into engagement, a circuit will be closed through the binding posts 44 and ,45, which circuit. is4 intended to include the electro-magnetic signal which is to'be selectively operated. It will be seen therefore, that inasmuch as the movable contact arm 38 iscarried upon the shaft 27, when the inertia Wheel 30 rolls down the inclined track 32, the movementof the arm 28 will cause shaft 27 to be rotated to bring the contact-arms 38 and 41 into enga gement.

Y Inorder to prevent a premature engagement `oit the arms 38 and 41, such as might occur during an intermediate pause in a sepies of codal impulses, the shaft 4 is provided with' a wheel 46 whichis provided with a notch 47, which when the toothed wheel. 5

`has been `stepped through its phase of movelso ment ,will be carried immediately beneath a depending portion 48-of the contact arm 38 which will thereby allow the arm 38 to descend :far enough to engage with the arm 41 to close the circuit. Such an intermediate pause. as has been describedk will permit the inertia wheel 30 tocarry the arm 38 only far .enough to allow the'depending portion 48 to engage 'with the periphery of the wheel $6, thereby preventing a premature engagement `ofthe Contact arms 38 and 41. There is An illustrative object of the entire device` when the toothed wheel is returned to normal also ixed upon the shaft 4 an arm 24,7Which by its spring, -will strike the inclined forward face of the lever 19 and raise the catch Z1 upon-the hook 22, the lever '19 having previously been moved laterally out of engagen ment with the wheel 5, and the inclined pin 37 on the wheel 5 will thereupon engage with the lever 19 and aid in its lateral movement to a position immediately above the wheel 5.

I have also provided means whose function is to return the wheel 5 to normal position automatically in a case where 'said wheel. has not been progressed suliciently to bring its inclined tootlr5* into action, upon the.

happening of a break in the line or upon the end of a predetermined time after impulses used :tor operating the selector have been im.- pressed upon the line. To this end l have provided upon the opposite side of the franle from that. occupied by the timing vwheel 30 l a second timing wheel 49 which controls means for returning the wheel 5 to normal as stated. This timing element comprises en arin 5l) lined upon a shaft 51 journaled ,at the side of the machine trame, and to whose outer end is pivoted a frame-work 52 carrying a hub 54., and the wheel 49 similar to that already described upon the opposite'side of the machine. upon a track 56- whose inclination to the horizontal is opposite to that oit' the track 32. The wheel 49 is adapted to be slid upon this track by means of an arm 57, that is secured to the forward end of the lever 11,

so that upon each downward movement of the impelling pawl 12 the timing wheel 49 is slid upward upon its track. When the impeiling pawl rises upon the vdenergization of the magnet 7, the timing wheel 49 will begin to roll slowly down its track, and if this movement is alllowed to continue to a su tlicient extent, the wheel 5 will be released The hub 54 runs from any engagement which it may have Wheiu upon depression of the pawl 12, the

wheel 49 is 'moved upward upon its track, the -bifurcated portion 62 .of the lever 58 is engaged by the member 64 and said lever is swung upon its bearings in such a. way as to One end GO of this lever is in i ilo lil' 0 move the end portion 60 laterally away from I the. forwardl extension 61 of the lever 19. W'lhen there isa. break-in the circuit of a certain. extent, or at the end of a predetermined y r is returned to normal by its spring 6.

iso

time after impulses used for operating .the selectors have been impressed upon the line, that is to say, the pawl 12 has been allowed to rise and there is no succeeding downward movement of the pawl for a certain period of time, the timing wheel 49 will be free to roll down its track, and as it does so the part 62 of the lever 58 is engaged by the member 64 of the frame-work 52, which causes the end 60 of said lever to move in-y ward and engage` the forward extension 61 of the arm 19, if the pawl 1,8 is in engagement with the wheel 5. This engagement with the arm 19 will movethe same and its shaft 2() laterally, thereby disengaging the pawl 18 from the wheel 5 which thereupon In-order to permit the catch 21 to drop oiffrom the hook 22 when the arm 19 is moved laterally away from wheel 5, a cutaway portion 25 is provided intermediate the end of the catch. y

The operation of my improved selector, whereby a circuit is closed at a selective station, exclusively, is as follows: Supposing a group of stations to be provided upon a single Aline with a selectorin each station,

then the teeth upon each of the wheels 5 are l arranged'in 'such manner that each wheel will be stepped forward by a series of codal impulses diii'erent from that of any ofthe others of said wheels. All of the instruments will be arranged in a well Known manner so that their magnets are all energized simultaneously by impulses impressed upon the line. Supposing now that the station in which the selector' disclosed herein is located is to be exclusively called, the instruments all being in normal position, the operator will first hold the circuit throughall of the magnet 7 closed long enough to permit the timing'element 30 vto release the catches 21 from the hooks 22 so that thepawls 18 of all the'selectors may engage with the first tooth on the wheels 5. Six impulses will now be produced, the irst five of which will be short, but the last must be long enough to allow the timing element 30 and its associated mechanism to remove the hook from the catch 21, whereupon the pawl 18 will engage with the lower contact surface of'thetooth 52. Then follows two other impulses, the first one of which is a nick impulse and the second one followed y a pause with the circuit closed. Thetiming wheel 30 will then again be operated, but ythis time the slot 47 of the wheel 46 is immediately beneath the extension 48 of the contact arm 385`and the arm 38 will thereby be allowed to contact with the arm 41. The circuit will therefore be closed and the sivnal operated, It will be apparent that the toothed wheels 5 of the other instruments of the various selectors will have either returned tonormal or not-movedfar enough.j

.riesame Consequently lonly the instrument intended will be operated.

It will be apparent that by means of the provision of'the second timing element that when one station is called it will not be necessary to impress any further impulses upon the line to clear thesame inasmuch tl"k at after a pause of predetermined length. occurs with the circuit open, such second time element will go into operation andfreturn all of the instruments to normal.

As `many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is iiiitended that all'matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not ina limiting sense. stood that the language used in the fellowing claims is intended to cover all ci" the generic and specific features of the inven tion herein describdand all statements or" the scope of the invention, which as a "'m'atter of language, might be lsaid to fall there--A between.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Ina device of 'the class described, in combination, a member adapted tov be stepped. to a predetermined point by a series of coda'l impulses of diil'erent characteristics, means opposing the stepping of said member, means whose operation is Adetermined by impulse characteristic to render said last named .means inoperative, means for restoring said opposing means to opera-tive condition when the member has been stepped through its phase of movement, a circuit closer, and a. time element for operating said circuit closer when said member has been stepped through its phase of movement.

2. In a device of the kind described, a member adapted to be stepped to a predetermined point by a series of codal impulses of different characteristics, means opposing the stepping of said' member, ,ineens whose operation is determined by impulse characteristic to render said last named means inoperative, meansyfor restoring said opposing means to operative condition when the member has been stepped through itsv .phase of movement,a pair of opposed cone tact members, one of which .is movable, and a time element for `moving said movable Contact member.

3. In a device of'the'kind described,

toothed member adapted to be stepped by a isa @determined upon impulse. characteristic for bringing the pawl and toothed member intooperative relation, and a pair of opposed contact members vq'hichaae adapted to be moved into operativel relation by said last li. in aidevice of the kind described, a toothedmember adapted to'be stepped by a series of impulses,.Y means' opposing the stepping of said member, a pawl adapted to engage the teeth of said member to prevent i operation of said opposing means, a time element Whose operation is determined by impulse characteristic for bringing about operative relation between the toothed member and thepavvl, a pair of opposed contact members, one of said Contact members being movable and its movement being controlled by said time element, means whereby when the iirst named member has been stepped by a. predetermined series of impulses, said time element will bring about an operative relation between said contact members, and means .Whose operation is determined by impulse oharaicteristic for throwing the toothed member and pavvl out of operative relation.

6. in a device of the kind described, in combination, a toothedmember adapted to be stepped through a phase of movement, nieansopposing the stepping of said memn ber, a pawl adapted to engage the teeth of said member and preventing an eifective operation of the opposing means, means Whose operation is determined by an impulse characteristic Jfor vbringing said toothed member and said pav'vl into operative relation, and a pair of opposed contact members, said last named means 'being also adapted by impulse characteristic to move said contact members into engagement.

7. in ,a device of the kind described, a

toothed fmember adapted to be stepped,

member carried by the toothed member adapted to engage with said paWl and throw it into engagement with the means which is adapted to hold the same 1n inoperative position, the operation of' said member' boing edected when the toothed member returns to normal.

. 8. In a device of the class described, a toothed wheel adapted to be stepped to a predetermined pointby a series of impulses, a shaftcarrying said wheel, means opposing thestepping of` said Wheel, a time element,a circuit closer having a movable contact ope erated by said time element whereby said circuit closer is operated when said wheel has been stepped to the lpredeterlnined point, and means carried by. said shaft for preventing the time element from operating said circuit closer until said wheel has been stepped -to said point. 9d In a device 'of the kind described, a. toothed Wheel adapted to be stepped to a predetermined point by a series ofimpulses,

, means opposing the stepping ci said wheel,

a shaft upon which said wheel is mounted, a

time element, a circuit closer comprising a pair of opposed contact members, one of which is moved into operative position by said time element whereby said circuit closer is operated when said Wheel has been stepped to the predetermined point and a notched -Wheel carried by said shaft for preventing the time element from operating 'said circuit closer until the wheel has been stepped to said point.

10. In' a device of the kind described, a toothed Wheel adapted to be ste ped to a predetermined point by a series o impulses,

a shaft carrying said Wheel, means engaging said shaft Yfor opposing the stepping oi said Wheel and 'for returning the sam to normal.

` position when stepped, a timeelement, a circuit closer comprising a pair of opposed contacts, one of which is movable, said movable contact being operated by said, time element whereby said circuit closer is operated when said Wheel has been stepped to said predetermined point and means carried by said shaft adapted to be en aged by one of the opposed members of said circuit closer to prevent ancperation of said circuit closer until said series of impulses has been completed, said means being provided with a cutaway portion which permits the engagement of the opposed 'contact members of said circuit closer when said series of impulses has been completed. I

11. In a device ofthe kind described, in combination, a toothed member adapted to be stepped. to a phase of movement by a series of impulses, a. shaft upon which said toothed member is mounted, spring means engaging said shaft to oppose the stepping of said member, a pawl adapted to engage the teeth of said member to prevent said spring from returning said toothed member to normal, means fornormally holding said pawl in inoperative position, a time element adapted to bring Asaid toothed member andI pawl into o erative relation, a member carried by sai toothed member adapted to eli-- gage with said awl and throw it into engagement with t e means which is adapted sto hold it in inoperative position, e circuiti bers until the phase ,'o movement of said memberv to be stepped-has been completed, said means being adapted to permit the engagement of said opposed Contact members -when said phase of movement has bn completed, a second time element adapted to disengage said 'payvl from the teeth ofthe member to be stepped, and means carried by said shaft adapted,- during the return of said toothed member to normal2 tofengage with said gagement with t e means for normally holdin it in inoperative position.

n testlmony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' E'DWN R. @PILLs Witnesses:

NATHALIE THOMPSON, RAY LONDON,

Eawl and throw it lnto enf 

